Boston bomber becomes 'rock star' magazine pin-up

Mike Gallagher

Jul 17, 2013 - 03:03

Jul 17, 2013 - 03:15

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Boston bomber becomes 'rock star' magazine pin-up

Jahar Tsarnaev featured on Rolling Stone cover

BOSTON bomber Jahar Tsaaev has been portrayed as a charming kid with a bright future in the latest issue of Rolling Stone.

The new issue of the magazine features a heartbreaking account of how the 19-year-old was 'failed by his family, fell into radical Islam and became a monster'.

Contributing editor Janet Reitman spent two months interviewing childhood and high school friends, teachers, neighbours and law enforcement agents to piece together the teenager's life.

In "Jahar's World" Reitman reports that the youngest Tsaaev attended a small Friday prayer group that met at lunchtime at his school.

"Islam wasn't casual to Jahar," one friend told the magazine. "He took his religion seriously."

Chechen brothers Dzhokhar Anzorovich "Jahar" Tsaaev and Tamerlan Anzorovich Tsaaev are accused of being behind the April 15, 2013, Boston Marathon bombings which killed three people and injured hundreds of others.

The the two brothers allegedly behind the Boston Marathon bombing. Picture: AP.

Tamerlan, 26, was killed in a shootout with police.

Rolling Stone readers were sickened, posting more than 3500 comments on its Facebook page in the last few hours.

Lindsey Williamson said putting Tsaaev on the cover was "a slap in the face to the great city of Boston and the Marathon Bombing victims".

"How f***ing dare you put a mass murderer on the cover of your magazine like making bombs in a pressure cooker and plant them in a public place to harm thousands of people is a 'rock star' thing to do. Never again will I ever buy a copy of Rolling Stone," she wrote.

Paula Stockinger-McCann was shocked.

"Why the f***k would you EVER consider putting that bastard on the cover? ARE YOU INSANE?" she wrote.

Shawn Anthony said it was "wrong to make celebrities out of these people".

"Why give the guy the cover of Rolling Stone? TIME gave Charles Manson the cover and all the magazines carried pictures of the Columbine shooters on the covers, too. Don't make martyrs out of these people."

The magazine reports that around 2008, Tamerlan confided to his mother that he felt like "two people" were inside him.

"She confided this to a close friend who felt he might need a psychiatrist, but Zubeidat believed that religion would be the cure for her son's inner demons and growing mental instability, and pushed him deeper into Islam," according to the magazine.

"Jahar shared few details of his troubled home life with even his closest friends. In the months leading up to the bombing, his family had disintegrated. His parents were both living in Russia. His two older sisters were estranged.

"Only Tamerlan, who was becoming increasingly devout and judgmental of all non-Muslims, was still in Boston. When one of Jahar's friends asked to meet Tamerlan, Jahar said, 'No, you don't want to meet him'."

Jahar, who could face the death penalty if convicted, this week pleaded not guilty to terrorism charges in his first courtroom appearance.